Snapshot
by Silent Scribe
Summary: Kagome brings a surprise to the Feudal Era. And Sesshomaru gets a few of his own. A one-shot snapshot.


_A/N: The InuYasha manga was originally set in the year 1997, a bit before digital cameras would become the norm. However, the ever-popular Polaroid was still around and I think it would've made for some good fun in Sengoku Jidai._

**Snapshot**

Sesshomaru leafed through the album, his eyes intent on the faces of laughing girls, smiling family members and the occasional lazy, fat cat that lounged in some of the images. "Huh," he pronounced at last. "Realistic paintings."

"Not paintings," Kagome chirped. "Photographs."

"Hnn…" As much as the daiyokai wanted to dismiss the pictures as uninteresting he couldn't quite wrest his attention away. How did one capture that which existed into a still image? It seemed all wrong, but remained as grimly fascinating as carcasses in a week-old battlefield.

Kagome concealed a triumphant smile. Her previous attempts to invite Inuyasha's brother into their group might have fallen short before, but this time she had him. The visuals were self-explanatory, but the futuristic aspect of photography was enough to mystify a sixteenth-century demon lord. She waited patiently a ways off while Sesshomaru conducted his full perusal.

At last, he re-approached her, and tapped a photograph with the tip of his claw. "How?" he inquired.

"With that." Kagome returned just as laconically. Sometimes it was fun playing at Sesshomaru's mannerisms. She pointed at the little black box she had entrusted to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha studied the kah-marr-ra. Then his finger slipped, accidentally pressing one of the many buttons. A blinding light flashed in his eyes and he hurled the junk away. "The little bastard tried attacking!" Still blinking colored spots from his vision, he drew Tetsusaiga and prepared to send the miniature demon into oblivion.

Sesshomaru scooped up the camera first. "Can't you smell it, fool?" he said with measured disdain and growing pleasure at the chance to one-up his brother. "This contraption isn't alive."

The Polaroid spit out its most recent shot. Sesshomaru flung the "contraption" he had previously deemed lifeless away in disgust for fear it would vomit on him.

"My camera!" Kagome cried.

Kohaku made a dive for it, catching the miko's odd treasure just in time. "Here you are, Lady Kagome." He glanced nervously at Sesshomaru whose eyes had suddenly narrowed. Kohaku didn't know if that meant that Lord Sesshomaru was displeased with him for returning the flashing device to Kagome or with his own self for his impulsive reaction.

"Look, it just takes pictures. See?" Kagome held up the latest result the camera had produced. Inuyasha's wild-eyed expression stared back, unblinking.

Sesshomaru smirked. The hanyo glowered.

"Sango! Miroku! You too, Kilala! Smile, everyone!" Kagome clicked and the camera flashed. Moments later an image of the group whirred out of the Polaroid.

"Me next! Me next!" Shippo waved his hands high.

"Can I be in it, too?" Rin asked.

"Yes, all of you!" Kagome beamed. "C'mon, Jaken."

"Save your folly for someone else. That machine looks like a soul-sucking –"

Seeing that Jaken wasn't about to join them, all the children swarmed around the little and their ruckus was punctuated by the sound of a snapping shutter.

"Little hellions!" Jaken rounded on them, but Rin and Shippo and even Kohaku took off giggling in three separate directions, quickly falling into a game of hide-and-seek.

Kagome turned to the daiyokai in their midst. "Lord Sesshomaru, may I take a picture of you?" After all, how many people in the modern era knew what yokai looked like?

He glared at the camera. Although he now understood its properties, he didn't like it any better. Its purpose, to preserve moments meant to be lost in time, annoyed him. Actions were meant to happen once, not to be dwelt upon with visual reminders. That domain belonged to memory. "No."

"Oh…" Kagome felt a little disheartened. "Okay." If Sesshomaru said no, then that was that. She didn't want to upset him now that they had something of a truce between their groups.

By the end of the day, she had almost finished her shots for the day. Well, maybe one more of Shippo and Rin. She looked around. Inuyasha found refuge on a rooftop, the taijiya siblings played catch-up, and Shippo and Jaken in an "epic" battle of wits, Miroku presiding over.

No sign of little Rin, though.

She approached Sesshomaru cautiously. "Have you seen Rin?"

He made no reply. Instead, Sesshomaru pushed off the tree he was leaning against and strolled off. Presumably, to go collect his ward.

The dog-demon didn't walk very far before he sniffed once, twice – she was here, but why didn't he see her? He looked around. Where was Rin?

"Lord Sesshomaru!" She pounced on his furred shoulder, dropping from a branch above. "Did I scare you?"

"Hardly." He looped an arm around the small child, bringing Rin face-to-face with him as she sat in the crook of his elbow. The dog-demon was dimly aware of the corners of his mouth curling…

…And in the corner of his vision, a flash going off.

Setting Rin down in favor of his claws, Sesshomaru swung around to face the perpetrator. Inuyasha's wench stood, clutching the camera he was about to pulverize.

"Well, it's just…" Kagome fumbled and held out the picture before herself like it was a shield. "You guys looked so cute together."

"My own picture of Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin declared like she caught a Pokémon, taking up the photo the pretty priestess offered.

Sesshomaru glared at Kagome. "Rin…" He held out his hand, requesting the picture.

"Can't I keep it?" She pulled back the photograph with both hands, pressing it to her chest.

"Let me see it."

The little girl cringed. When most grownups said that they never gave back what you let them "see." But Lord Sesshomaru wasn't most adults. Nervously, Rin handed over the photo.

Amber eyes scrutinized the image. Fortunately, his back had been to the camera so no shift in his expression was captured. Mostly, it was just Rin's smile that took centerfold. Acceptable.

"Put it away."

"I'll keep it safe!" Rin swore, smartly slapping her hands to her sides.

Kagome smiled privately as Sesshomaru proceeded to ignore her, leading Rin back to the village. She hadn't missed how he took his time studying the picture. Glancing off, demon and child hadn't gone too far yet. Rin pranced around her guardian, talking animatedly and occasionally tugging at his sleeve. Adjusting the camera's settings, Kagome took aim again.

_Hey, Sesshomaru might want a duplicate. _

_._

_A/N: Yay! Finally a good ol' fashioned one-shot before the year's close! Meant to be 1100 words in anticipation for 2011. Thank you for reading!_


End file.
